NOW TV: New box, new interface

NOW TV has announced plans for a new set-top box and an improved interface. Speaking at the Future of Broadcasting Conference in London, Sky’s chief marketing & digital officer, Stephen van Rooyen said the online streaming service would also launch a Sky Sports month pass.

The next generation box, built on the Roku platform, will go on sale in August and will be priced at £14.99. It will include an Ethernet port to support a wired as well as wireless connection and a processor that is five times faster.

The new Sky Sports Month Pass will be priced at £31.99, with no commitment to subscribe required, and will be available in time for the kick-off of the new football season. Access to premium live sport is cited by customers as one of the main reasons they choose NOW TV. Customers currently have the choice of a day pass for £6.99 or a week pass for £10.99.

“NOW TV has established real momentum since it launched nearly three years ago. The acceleration in our customer growth shows NOW TV is attracting customers in a way that is complementary, not at odds, with the Sky TV service. As with the Sky platform we are committed to constant improvement so we can produce the best experience for customers as well as developing exciting new services and features for them to enjoy.”

Van Rooyen told delegates that over 90% of customers had never considered Sky before signing up. Almost 40% of NOW TV customers also subscribe to Netflix and around 20% use it alongside Amazon Prime.